Nagaland pianist immortalises Zubeen Garg’s 'Mayabini' in Western score

Internationally acclaimed concert pianist Nise Meruno, the first Indian to be honoured as a Yamaha Artist by Yamaha Pianos, Japan, has created the Western musical notation of Zubeen Garg's legendary anthem Mayabini.

It an emotional bridge between two musicians from the Northeast whose souls still seem to speak across mountains and memory

Mayabini, that haunting creation of love and longing, was being rewritten so that it could he played anywhere in the world. Behind this transformation stood Nise Meruno, the quiet genius from Nagaland, trained in Singapore in piano, voice, conducting, and composition, who has performed across Europe and Asia for presidents, royalty, and music lovers alike

"I was in Guwahati for TEDx Royal Global University," Nise recalls. "My dear friend D'com and I were talking about Zubeen and his melody, his magic. And D'com just looked at me and said, "Nise, can we immortalise Mayabini in Western notation? Let's make sure the world can play him."

That one sentence became the spark. Days later, Nise sat surrounded by manuscript sheets, listening again and again to Mayabini. "It's not an easy song," he smiles. "It carries a kind of longing that's hard to describe- pain and peace together. Translating that emotion into classical notation was both a challenge and a prayer."

On October 8, 20025, the Royal Global Univer sity auditorium shimmered with anticipation as TEDx Royal Global University unfurled under the theme "Original By Nature".

The evening celebrated authenticity and courage, from designer Bambi Kevichüsa's sustainable couture to Ranje Barthakur's ecological wisdom and Devajit Saikia's fearless balance of law, cricket and adventure. But the moment that will live on came when Nise took the stage.

As curator and anchor, I introduced him as someone who doesn't just play the piano, he converses with it. His music didn't fill the air it became the air

Then came the surprise. I invited him back, smiling through a lump in my throat. "What if I told you," I said, "that Zubeen Garg's timeless Mayabini has now been re-imagined in Western classical format by this very man?" The applause was thunderous, then fell away to a hush. As the musical score of Mayabini appeared on the screen and Nise's fingers touched the keys, something profound happened. The song that belonged to Assam suddenly belonged to the world.

People closed their eyes; some wept quietly "Music is the only true connector," I told the audience. "It's the one language that never divides it only heals." Assam is still mourning, still waiting for justice, still whispering Zubeen's name. But that night, as Nise played, healing began to sound possible.

Later, over a cup of tea, Nise said softly, "Zubeen was fearless. He lived with fire. He sang as if the world depended on it. Writing Mayabini in Western notation was my way of saying thank you, for his courage, his originality, and for showing us what it means to live through music.

Born in Kohima, nurtured by the melodies of the hills and trained in the rigour of European classical tradition, Nise bridges worlds with effortless grace. "The hills gave me melody," he once told me. "The world gave me structure. Together, they made my sound."

The Western notation of Mayabini now stands as a global gift, carrying Zubeen's soul into the hands of pianists everywhere.

By Sattyakee d'com Bhuyan